Any hopes Robert Kraft might have that his solicitation of prostitution case will be resolved before the NFL season begins took a hit Tuesday, when a Florida judge granted prosecutors’ request to extend the time they have to bring Kraft to a speedy trial.
It’s a small victory for the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s office after Judge Leonard Hanser handed them a major defeat earlier this month, ruling that video surveillance of Kraft — the only evidence known to implicate him — could not be used as evidence in the case.
Prosecutors announced their intention to appeal that decision Friday, and it won’t be heard until Sept. 4 at the earliest. Without knowing the result of that appeal, prosecutors argued they can’t prepare for a trial and thus need extra time to bring a case to court. Hanser granted the request, although he did not set a specific timetable.
Kraft was charged in February with two misdemeanor counts of solicitation after police said he was videoed paying for, and receiving, sexual services at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Fla., in January. Kraft has pleaded not guilty.